Newsletter of the IsA texAs ChApterVol. 37, No. 2 July, 2013

In th

e Sh

ade

Pastenes wins again!

2

3

President’s Letter by Susan Henson

Fellow Tree Enthusiasts:

What a winter/spring we have had! The weather has gone from cold to hot and then hot to cold several times, with a few bouts of strong winds, tor-rential rain and drought! This was the weather for the past 5 or 6 months. It takes mountains of information from all over the state, nation and world to help figure out what the next outbreak will be and where we might expect to see damage. Some of the things the ISAT is doing to help keep our members out in front of the information flow are listed below.

In the past few months we’ve had the Identification and Management of Oak Wilt Workshop (total sellout), Hitch Climbers’ Guide to the Canopy, Certified Tree Worker Climber Specialist Certification, Texas Tree Climb-ing Competition with 35 contestants (Miguel Pastenes won again), Aerial Rescue & Safety Techniques Workshop conducted by Mark Chisholm (38 people attended) and we participated in the Texas Arbor Day Celebration.

We have several training opportunities coming up, starting with Tree Risk Assessment Qualification Course. There are only 20 per class because of test requirements – two more this fall. This has become a hot topic, espe-cially with all the storm-related damage the past couple of years.

Don’t forget the ISA International Conference in Toronto in August, fol-lowed in October by the 34th annual Texas Tree Conference, Academy, Awards, Tree School and Trade Show in Waco. The conference will be filled with timely information presented by some of the best speakers and pro-fessionals in our industry. This year’s conference is called “Branching Out” because we are reaching out to all aspects of the industry to ensure that everyone has a chance to benefit from ISAT membership.

Don’t forget to donate today to support your favorite rider or team in the Tour des Trees bike race July 28th. Funding raised here goes to the Tree Research and Education Endowment Fund. We are proud to announce that Pete Smith with the Texas A&M Forest Service is Team Texas Captain this year, and he can use both funding and encouragement.

Tree-related legislation has been brought up in the state legislature several times this year, but the biggest impact for us may be the vote taken to move Arbor Day to the first Friday in November. This is a much better time to plant trees, and this will be the first and only year that Texas will celebrate two Arbor Days in one year. Watch the newsletter for more information.

To find out out how to become an exhibitor or sponsor at the Texas Tree Conference, download a brochure at isatexas.com .

Vendor spaces are already filling up. Please considering displaying your wares, building your business and helping ISAT become one of the stron-gest chapters in the country. Remember we are trying to branch out, so think outside the bark and invite someone new to the industry.

It is time to elect a new slate of officers. A nomination form is available at isatexas.com/images/pdf_files/Elections/2013_ISATBOD_application_form.pdf

Have a treemendous summer! Let us know how we can help!

NEW MEMBERSJacob Rodriguez StaffordJoel A. Joiner Lago VistaJames E. Felderhoff MuensterTina M. Waliczek-Cade San MarcosRick J. Teinert San AntonioErnest E. Raddatz San AntonioGlen Stogsdill DentonRaymond Kitzmiller LongviewErnesto Guardia DallasJohn D. Ivie PalmerGordon T Wright DallasJacob R Mitchell Cedar ParkGeorge E Potter, Jr. San AntonioJim Crosby GeorgetownClinton Hollis Robison BenbrookJustin Jordan AustinBill White BryanWilliam S. Stephens AustinJacob A. Kinzie AustinIsrael Depaz Galena ParkEdward Pena South HoustonZade West Watts HoustonLinda Rebecca Johnson San AntonioCory Lee Cason CoppellJohn McDaniel Round RockBrian Clint Pope CookvillePaul Charles Nassauer, Jr. RichardsonCurtis Farmer College StationCaleb P Tandy MidlothianKristie M. Flores Leon ValleyHenry James Gainer SpicewoodBill Kalb GarlandCraig S. Engeling New UlmAna Veronica Gonzalez Austin

COVER PHOTOMiguel Pastenes won the Texas Tree Climbing Championship for the sixth time in May. He also came in second in the North American Tree Climbing Championship in April. In August Miguel will compete in the international contest in Toronto. Photo by Margaret Hall Spencer. For more on the 2013 TTCC see pages 9-13 in this issue.

4

by Guy Philip Meilleur

The ANSI A300 Part 8 Root Management Standard completed its second public review in February 2013, and looks to be headed for publication later in the year. The subgroup was composed of seven talented technical advisors: Alice Carter of PLANET, Rich Hauer of University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, Richard Rathjens of Davey, Tom Smiley of Bartlett, Mark Stennes of TCIA, Gordon Mann of the Society of Mu-nicipal Arborists and Keith Cline of the US Forest Service, and was chaired by Guy Meilleur of Historic Tree Care.

Part 8 has taken many twists and turns since starting its develop-ment as Root and Rootzone Management in 2007. Meanwhile, an expanded Part 2: Soil Management was published in 2011, replacing the old Part 2: Fertilization. With rootzones covered (so to speak) elsewhere, Part 8 could focus on the care of roots: inspection, selective root pruning, nonselective root cutting, blocking roots with barriers, and guiding roots with channels.

Establishing the objective is central to every plan and every practice in every Part of the A300 Standard. In most cases, the arborist assesses the tree’s contributions in light of factors such as the species, site, and history. In collaboration with the client, the objective is established. Only then can the methods and the equipment and the dose of root management be specified, often in the form of a work order, or in a Request for Proposals.

After the work is done, the results are reviewed, and the cycle begins anew. This basic process closely resembles http://auf.isa-arbor.com/request.asp?JournalID=1&ArticleID=2831&Type=2 That article focused on Plant Health Care, but the pro-cess can also fit the objectives of risk assessment or any other tree care task equally as well. In the A300 Tree Care Standard, “shall”s are requirements, while “should”s are recommenda-tions. Because Part 8 has yet to be published we can’t quote it, but here is an Annex—technically not part of the official standard. Specifications are all “shall”s, and these describe a task that is all-too-commonly required.

Annex D – Managing trunks, flares, and roots affected by fill, sample specifications (This annex will not be considered part of the ANSI A300 Part 8 standard.)

D-1 Sample specifications for RCX (root collar examination) with hand tools

Scope: Trees with fill contacting the trunk.

Objective: Mitigate tree damage from the effects of fill on the trunk.

Specifications: 1 Rake any coarse woody debris or fresh mulch away from

the root collar area. 2. Select tools to avoid root and trunk damage. 3. If a shovel or trowel is used, press the blade against the

trunk. Slide it carefully downward until resistance is met.

4. Push the handle toward the trunk, moving the blade away from the trunk.

5. Remove individual adventitious roots and stem-girdling roots as needed. Manage larger roots per ANSI A300 (Part 8), 83.4 and 84.4. Avoid contact between the trunk and any remaining adventitious, girdling, and circling roots.

6. Lift the material away from the trunk and place it in a tem-porary staging area.

7. Repeat until trunk and flare are clear, out to the root collar, where buttress roots divide. Use smaller hand tools, vacu-um, or compressed water or air, to complete the excavation.

8. Separate and dispose of any infertile soil and debris. Retain the fertile soil, fine roots, mycorrhizae, and decomposed mulch.

9. Commence the RCX (root collar examination). 10. Consider replanting the tree, if the flare is over 2 inches (5

cm) below grade. 11. Remove soil and fine roots outside of the root collar to

make a gradual slope. 12. Consider installing a device to control erosion. 13. Apply 2-4 inches (5-10 cm) of mulch over the root collar.

Avoid mulch contact with the flare. 14. Remove the fine roots, fertile soil, mycorrhizae and de-

composed mulch from the staging area. 15. Incorporate the material into the outer rootzone. 16. Specify that future management will keep the flare visible.

After this cavity was noticed at the base of a Quercus stellata post oak, further inspection was required. The white line shows the previous grade, before 4" of anaerobic-smelling mulch was removed from the flare and the root collar. The tree managers had applied too much of a good thing too routinely, and in the wrong place. The tree’s response against this well-intentioned attack was to grow an adventitious root from the edge of the decayed area, to nourish compartmentalization.

The Radical Standard Comes Alives

5

Member Spotlight: Misti Beirne

By measuring, marking, and monitoring these “guy wire” roots as they gain strength over time, arborists can specify the amount of crown reduction needed to main-tain a reasonably low level of risk. The cavity is well over 80% of the basal area, but the loss in stability is much less. Also monitored is the response growth in the expanding buttress roots, detectable in or-ange-colored swollen areas inside the outer plates of bark. Growths such as burls are strength-gaining features, not “defects,” unless they are decayed.

More on this particular post oak can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gHB1nI0shtU

Peer-reviewed work on pruning stem-girdling roots can be seen here: http://www.historictreecare.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/05/LBG-III-Man-aging-Stem-Girdling-Roots1.doc.pdf

More on the A300 can be seen at http://www.tcia.org/business/business-resources/ansi-a300/current-projects . The bottom half of the tree needs more attention, and you will find the upcoming Part 8 a useful tool for confronting the subterranean unknown.

Guy Meilleur is an arborist and consul-tant based in North Carolina.

Who would trade beautiful year-round weather for scorching summers? Or the seaside for a land that never gets quite enough rain? Well, Misti Beirne (pronounced Burn) was happily living in Hawaii when she realized she missed her family, who were still living in East Texas where she grew up. Wanting to be closer to them, she moved back to Texas two years ago. She misses the beauty of Hawaii but likes the down home atmosphere and friendliness of Texas.

It was the exotic beauty of Hawaiian trees that inspired Misti to become an arborist in the first place. She’d been a certified landscape technician for a number of years, when she started thinking about specializing in tree work. A mentor intro-duced her to urban forestry, and she became a certified arborist in 2005.

After exploring different aspects of arboriculture, Misti now does sales, estimating and job supervision for Bartlett Tree Experts in San Marcos. Her territory is large, covering Wimberley, Blanco, Bear Creek, Canyon Lake, New Braunfels and Drip-ping Springs.

Misti enjoys diagnosing tree problems and answering clients’ questions. She likes to help people learn how to keep their trees healthy and how to cope with the threat of oak wilt.

In addition to the variety of challenges that keep her days lively, Misti enjoys master-ing all the knowledge that makes central Texas different from Hawaii. The transition from frangipanis to oaks involves a substantial amount of study and observation. Species here are different, behave differently, flower at different times.

Since returning to Texas she often visits her old home in East Texas, a four-hour drive, but considerably easier and less costly than the previous air trips. Misti cher-ishes time spent with her grandmother, who was like a second mother to her.

She also runs 10 miles a week for fun, exercise and stress relief. That seems like a lot of running but her fiance, Joe Perez, runs 30 to 40 miles a week. Misti and Joe,

a global planner at Dell Computer, have bought a house in Austin and plan to get married in October. It will be a beach wedding in, yes, Hawaii.

Misti volunteers every Saturday with Learning Together Equestrians, an organization that helps disabled children through horseback riding. She’s done some tree climbing and competed in the 2009 Western Chapter Tree Climbing Championship.

Misti is serving her first term on the board of ISAT and also holds the post of Certification Liaison. She schedules Certified Arborist exams for the state, and creates CEUs for all events. As if she didn’t have a full plate already, she spends about 10 hours a week at this important volunteer job.

– Jeannette Ivy

Call of family was louder than the ocean

s

n

Misti Beirne

6

Visionary artist, Konstantin Dimopoulos, brought his blue pigment all the way from Australia for installations in Hous-ton and Galveston. The project is part of the Worldwide “Art for Change” Movement and was a collaboration with Houston Arts Alliance, Galveston Arts Center and Galves-ton Island Tree Conservancy.

The installations in Houston took place along Memorial Drive at Waugh and the City of Houston PRD office, where over two hundred volunteers colored over two hundred crepe myrtles. In Galveston the work can be seen on the median of 25th Street from Broadway to The Strand as well as Saengerfest Park.

So, why color trees blue? The artist says, “Through color I am making a personal statement about the spirituality of trees and their importance to our very survival: trees are the lungs of the planet. The fact that blue is a color that is not naturally identified with trees suggests to the viewer that something unusual, something out of the ordinary has happened. It becomes a magical transformation. As an artist I think in images. These installations are my ‘voice’ about global issues, a visual platform to effect change. Trees are largely invisible in our daily lives, and it’s not until it’s too late that we realize how im-portant they are to us both aesthetically and environ-mentally.”

The color used on the trees is biologically safe pigment-ed water and will naturally degrade and the trees gradu-ally revert to their natural state, typically six to eight months.

TheBlueTreesTexas

As part of the week long extravaganza, TFS Regional Urban Forester Matt Weaver and Senior Arborist Priscilla Files with Galveston Island Tree Conservancy had the unique op-portunity to participate in the educational programs coincid-ing with the event.

Thirty-five students from Satori Elementary and 250 stu-dents from Trinity Episcopal School in Galveston were not only given the opportunity to ‘paint’ and plant trees, but also learned about the benefits of trees and their significance in the aftermath of Hurricane Ike. Over 10,000 trees have been planted on the island since the disaster, almost halfway to the goal of 25,000 to restore the canopy loss of almost fifty percent across the island. For more information: bluetreestexas.org/ and kondimopoulos.com/ .

Crepe myrtles at Memorial Dr. and Waugh, Houston,

are temporarily colored blue.

The artist mixing his pigment for the students at Satori Elementary, Galveston.

The artist coloring the American sycamore

at Satori Elementary, Galveston.

TFS Regional Urban Forester Matt Weaver with the artist Konstantin Dimopoulos at Saengerfest Park, Galveston.

7

by Kelly Washburn, Urban & Community Forestry Program Manager, New Mexico State Forestry

Project Partners: New Mexico State Forestry Division, City of Las Cruces, City of Albuquerque; Arizona State Forestry, City of Phoenix; Texas A&M Forest Service, City of El Paso; Davey Resource Group; and the USDA Forest Service.

Project Summary: This is a multi-state project funded by the USDA Forest Service to conduct urban forestry ecosystem services assessments in partnering communities. This project will utilize i-Tree Eco to capture data that will be used to assist communities in developing municipal and regional air quality planning goals.

Four communities (Las Cruces, NM; Albuquerque, NM; El Paso, TX; and Phoenix, AZ), located in regions at risk of not meeting federal air quality standards, have partnered in this effort to complete assessments. This project is focused on improving environmental health and community livability, and was initiated as a comparison to similar research that has been conducted in other parts of the country.

Project Goals: Produce community forest assessments in four targeted 1. municipalities that quantify current ecosystem services

SouthweSt urban foreStS – air quality and beyond

Alejandro and Katy measure the distance to a tree from a known point.

Crew members from Davey Resource Group take time out to tour the Chihuahuan Desert Gardens at UTEP to hone their native plant identification skills. (L to r): John White, Botanical Curator, Chihuahuan Desert Gardens,; Evan Anderson, from Tennessee; Jaret Latta, Texas; Alejandro Garcia, Nevada; Brenda Steinert, California; Katy Wittow, Wyoming.

being provided (including improved air quality, energy conserved, carbon sequestered, and much more); Develop and 2. implement municipal goals, planning tools and community forest strate-gies (planning, development and management) that are recognized by environmen-tal regulators as mitigating factors for air quality; Develop plan-3. ning tools and outreach materi-als and use these tools through traditional and non-traditional partnership forums to increase awareness and develop similar projects and efforts throughout the Southwest and the United States.

8

editor’s note by Oscar Mestas

Wow! Time is flying by fast, spring is gone and summer is here. It is hot hot and hot here in far West Texas. I hope the rest of you in this very large state are getting some good rainfall. I listen to the news and hear where it seems that there is usually a flood somewhere in Texas. Fortunately we rarely see that much rain here in El Paso but it would be nice to get some of the wet stuff. At my house I have recorded .44 inches of rain since January 1. Not even ½ inch, but hopefully by the time you all receive this newsletter our summer monsoons will have started and I will have a reason to rejoice. So what does this have to do with this newsletter or arboriculture in Texas? Nothing, really, but it does remind me of what a large state we have and how different our regions are.

I also want to say that I had a great time in Plano at the Texas Tree Climbing Championship. It was a great place to see and talk with old friends but more so to meet new folks and exchange tree talk about what is going in their part of Texas. I was especially impressed with the camaraderie the competitors have, cheering each other on and helping each other, passing on hints to help them climb easier or faster. This really is a great event and I hope to see more of you there next year. I am so fortunate to be part of the unique world of arboriculture.

As always, if you have news to share, or comments on the newsletter please send them my way at omestas@tfs.tamu.edu . Have a great and safe summer.

Contact your Nelson representative today to discuss your vegetation management needs:

Elmer Vargas at 1-817-225-6071Highest standards for crew professionalism

equipment resources

Nationwide 24/7 crisis response

Unmatched safety recordIndustry leading

9

Thanks, TTCC Vendors!Glad to see you at the Texas Tree Climbing

Championship. We appreciate your support!

(L to r) Elric Gray, Norm Petersma, Marty Mullin, Mark Unzicker.

(L to r) James Poen, Ben Thomson (judge, speed saw contest), Randy Smithwick, Matt Rose, Will King.

Peter Rausch (l) and Xavier Leal, ISAT Board member.

(L to r) Michael Fountain, Sales Manager; Bobby Jones, Branch Manager; Steve Haag, Territory Manager, Poston Equipment Sales Inc.

Greg Ehring (l) and Kelly Chancelor.

Jeffrey Burruano of Tracked Lifts.

10

This year’s outing to find the best climber in Texas succeeded on every

level. The event was held again at Bob Woodruff Park in Plano, and the city of Plano was again an amenable host, with Urban Forester Denise Moore provid-ing her full support. We christened the park’s beautiful new pavilion with a bit of mud unfortunately, as heavy rains on Wednesday made things rather sloppy. But the city of Plano came through with a truckload of rubber mats which helped keep the mess down substantially.

Fortunately the rains let up early Thurs-day, allowing three-time world champion Mark Chisholm to hold another engag-ing workshop for us, this one on aerial rescue. Our skeleton crew of set-up volunteers worked hard from Tuesday through Thursday to be ready for the opening horn Friday morning and with the rains gone we were underway.

I think we had some of the best courses ever this year. The work climb was in a giant, wide bur oak, set up entirely by former chapter president Keith Brown. As with many big bur oaks, this one was kind of flat topped, which meant we had to keep the bells kind of close to the mid-line to avoid steep rope angles, but it was still a fun, if fast, run.

Throw line was in a tall (over 80 foot) cedar elm that we’ve used before. Long-time volunteer Oneci-mos Carlos and I set the top targets at 70+ feet. According to head judge Curtis Schoessow, no one even tried for them. But former chapter champ Nicolas Martinez (one of our Work Climb and Masters’ judges) nailed a 10-pointer in three throws. (So he’s a little off in his old age…)

Belayed Speed Climb was in another fun one we’ve used before, a tall ash with a strong lean and a bit of a twist. This year we set it up as a two bell event, and head judge Chris Brewer and his crew kept things moving safely; despite

predictions to the contrary, no one died. No big surprise on the winner of this one. Miguel Pastenes ripped both speed events, turning in a sub-25 second on Be-layed, and a sub-15 on Footlock. Ouch!

This year’s Aerial Rescue was our best ever, in my opinion. Set up by former event head judge Nevic Donnelly and his great crew, it was significantly more challenging than in years past. Due in part to this and the slick conditions Fri-day morning, contestants were given an extra minute this year.

The Stock Saw cutting was back in rota-tion this year, thanks to Chairman Kevin Bassett and our great sponsor Matt Rose from Stihl. I love the smell of saw exhaust in the morning!

The final set of rotations was Saturday morning and with that completed, head score keeper Bryan White and competi-tion administrator Kirbie Houser went to work finding our top four finishers for the final round. And wouldn’t you know it, it was the same final four as last year,

in the same order: Miguel Pastenes, Abram Zies, Vicente Peña, and Jack-son MacIntosh (with Miguel finishing first overall).

We had originally chosen two smallish elms for the Masters, intending to have stations in both, but a 90+ foot pecan just kept calling out to me, so I pruned out that hairy beast and set up a course that wasn’t particularly difficult, but very tough to get started in, with the ideal tie-in point north of 70 feet. Stingy as always, I gave contestants a mere 23 minutes to get the job done.

Abram Zies went first, and made shorter work of setting a line than he did last year. But he seemed to struggle through the course, and did not make his descent before time elapsed. Miguel went sec-ond, and although he struggled slightly with his line installation, he ultimately showed once again why he is the cham-pion he is, pouring through the course like a gently flowing stream. It was beautiful. Vicente Peña was next up, and looked like he might give Miguel a run for it, but he was not as smooth from sta-tion to station, and a hurried, ugly gear extraction cost him points.

Jackson MacIntosh batted clean-up, and for the second year in a row Jack Mac had problems. Throw after throw went bad for this relative newcomer, and he

2013 Texas Tree Climbing Championship a Huge Success

by Guy LeBlanc,TTCC Head Judge

(L to r.) Guy LeBlanc, Jackson McIntosh, Abram Zies, Miguel Pastenes, Steve Houser, Kevin Bassett, Vicente Peña. Photo by Margaret Hall Spencer.

sPh

oto

by O

scar

Mes

tas.

11

never got off the ground. But he did win the Spirit of the Competition Award, probably for not melting down and act-ing like he had Tourette’s, as I would have done after five minutes of what he went through!

So when all was said and done, score keepers Bryan White and Gene Gehring tallied the sheets, and as was obvious to all in attendance based on his stellar per-formance, Miguel Pastenes was named this year’s champ. This year’s Interna-tional will be in Toronto in August.

In addition to the above-named volun-teers, I need to give a big “thank you” to all the other volunteers who helped Kevin and me this year. I would like to specifically thank our new Head Techni-cian, Jim Dossett, who provided not only his vast expertise, but a sense of “real world” application, and a wonder-fully calm demeanor. Had it not been for Jim’s influence, I would have been even more of a cranky SOB than I was. And I also wish to thank our new Texas ISA executive director, John Giedraitis, who showed a total commitment to support-ing this event.

So to all of you who gave up time at work and/or with family and put up with me just to make this event happen for our chapter’s climbers, thank you very much, and I hope to see you next year.

Thanks to everyone who madeTTCC such a great eventby Kevin Bassett, TTCC Chair

I would like to thank the following list of big supporters.

Vendors:Stihl/Blue Mountain Equipment. JL Matthews & Co., Pinnacle Arborist SuppliesTracked LiftsPosten Equipment/Brush Bandit ChippersVermeer Equipment of Texas/ Sherrill Arborist Supplies

Lunch Sponsors included:Texas Tree and Land CoThey Might be Monkeys Austin Tree ExpertsAmarillo ArborlogicalDallas Earth Day 2013Arborilogical Services, Inc.

Prize Sponsors:Arbor Master TrainingTree StuffKB Woodturnings

Matt Rose helped us to reintroduce the stock saw event. Congratulations to Da-vid Ruiz, first place, and Joey Pritchard, second place. Each man earned himself a new Stihl MS 251.

Prize sponsors each sent us a large box of goodies which went to event winners and raffle winners. KB Wood turnings unveiled the re-done Houser Cup and also provided prizes for the raffle and the tree height and diameter contest. In order to be eligible to win one of these great prizes, participants had to earn raffle tickets by visiting our sponsors. Raffle ticket earners had to either correctly tie an arborist knot, such as a hitch or bend, or answer an arboriculture-related ques-tion.

Another fun event was the height and di-ameter challenge. Participants were seen lying on the ground, using sticks, pacing and eyeballing three different trees. Congratulations to winner James Tuttle, who was awarded an absolutely stun-ning pierced natural edge bowl provided by KB Woodturnings. Who would have thought that all that practice on that one little tree in Lubbock would have honed his skills to such a degree? One thing is

for sure: Mrs. Tuttle was surprised and incredibly happy with the victory and the prize.

I would like to thank all who attended and volunteered. Without you there is no Tree Climbing Championship. If you missed it, well, I feel sorry for you. May-be next year you will be able to come and add your skills to this incredibly talented and knowledgeable group.

Last but definitely not least, I would also like to thank Kirbie Houser. Trust me on this; without Kirbie you all would have been very unhappy. She arranged the food, she set up the score sheets, she kept me organized and on track during the months of work that preceded the event. Due to her help the event ran very smoothly and on time. For her efforts, she was awarded the Outstanding Volunteer Medal.

Thank you, all. I look forward to keep-ing our team together, adding to it, and making this an event where the members have a lot of fun and expose arboriculture and arborists to the public statewide. I foresee this becoming the premier chapter tree climbing championship of the ISA family. If you would like to help in this endeavor, please contact me, as planning for next year is already underway and we do want and need your help.

Miguel lowering “Kevin” during aerial rescue event. Photo by Oscar Mestas.

Matt Latham competed and also helped with the kids’ climbing event. Photo by Margaret Hall Spencer.

n

s

n

12

2. The man in charge. Photo: Margaret Hall Spencer.

3. Jim Dunlap keeps an eye on a young climber at the kids’ climbing event. Photo: John Giedraitis.

4. Chainsaw contestants must cut two thin slices while racing against time.Photo: Margaret Hall Spencer.

5. Everybody: judges, contestants, and volunteers. Photo: Margaret Hall Spencer.

More photos online

See photos by Margaret Hall Spencer at: s1107.photobucket.com/user/Stream-sideGreen/library/2013%20TX%20Tree%20Climbing%20Championship

See photos by John Giedraitis at:http://www.isatexas.com/Members/TTCC/TTCC_Gallery.htm

1

5

2

4

3

1. Contestants checking in and filling out documentation. Photo: Oscar Mestas.

13

The Texas Chapter was well rep-resented at the North American

Tree Climbing Championship held in Newark, NJ, April 27 and 28.

Jackson McIntosh and current Texas champion Miguel Pastenes were com-petitors, and Kevin Bassett served as head judge on the foot lock event.

Miguel scored well enough in the five preliminary events to earn a slot in the five-man Master’s Challenge. After selections by the climbers for starting order, Miguel ended up being the final

Pastenes Wins Second Place at NATCCclimber. Twenty- five minutes were allowed to complete the four stations, return to the ground and extract all ropes and gear from the tree. Miguel managed to use every second of the allowed time and not one second more. It was an exciting end to a great com-petition. The crowd of approximately 100 was elated and cheering hard for Miguel to complete the challenge. Miguel’s fine effort and skills won second place.

The North American Tree Climbing Championship attracted 50 chapter winners and chapter finalists from all over the US and Canada. Congratula-tions are due to Miguel and Jackson for doing a great job of representing the Texas Chapter at this prestigious event. My hat’s off to both of them.

–Kevin Bassett, TTCC Chair

Miguel Pastenes (l), second place win-ner, and Gent Simmons from Husqvarna.

Miguel in securedfoot lock event.

2013 TTCC WinnersClIMBING COMPETITION

Master’s Challenge1st – Miguel Pastenes2nd – Vicente Peña3rd – Abram Zies

Aerial Rescue:1st – Abram Zies2nd – Miguel Pastenes3rd – Daniel Hurst

Work Climb:1st – Miguel Pastenes2nd – Vicente Peña3rd – Abram Zies

Belayed Speed Climb:1st – Miguel Pastenes2nd – Abram Zies3rd – Vicente Peña

Secured Footlock:1st – Miguel Pastenes2nd – Abram Zies3rd – Jimmy Prichard

Throwline:1st – Otoneil Sanchez2nd – Balvino Carlos3rd – Matt Latham

OTHER EVENTS & AWARDS

Stihl Stock Saw Speed Cutting:1st – David Ruiz2nd – Joey Pritchard

Spirit of the Competition:Jackson McIntosh

Outstanding Volunteer:Kirbie Houser

Kirbie Houser,Outstanding Volunteer

Photos by Kirbie Houser.

14

by Matt McClellan

This article originally appeared in Garden Center Magazine, www.gardencentermagazine.com. Reprinted with permission.

The same technology that helps you find the nearest coffee shop may be the next big thing in nursery inventory manage-ment. Global positioning systems (GPS) and global informa-tion systems (GIS) provide the technology behind traceability — the ability to track a tree’s location from its infancy at the nursery to its eventual planting in a landscape.

It’s not as far-fetched as you might think. Some municipalities are starting to mandate that nurseries provide a detailed tree history before making a purchase.

In Canada, there is a strong push for nursery certification to ensure certain standards are being met, much like ISO cer-tification for manufacturers. In 2006, the Canadian Nursery and Landscape Association began developing a certification system. The Canadian Nursery Certification Program (CNCP) and “Clean Plants” certifications are designed to provide a standardized system to ensure quality and the health of plant materials for shipment throughout Canada, and for export and import to the U.S.

To become “Clean Plants” or CNCP certified in Canada, nurseries must be able to provide the seed source of each tree grown, as well as the best management practices that have oc-curred during the tree’s lifetime. Wave of the future Stewart Brothers Nurseries, a shade tree grower in Kelowna, British Columbia, was looking for an inventory management system with tree tracking functionality to achieve certification for Clean Plants.

To get there, the nursery used a service called HisTREE, a tree management system that handles inventory management, records maintenance and inspection information and analyzes tree data and trends.

“You will know exactly where a seed of a tree came from and can keep track of its movement within the nursery until it is shipped to the customer,” said Kal Jhaj, sales manager with Stewart Brothers Nurseries. “It’s also handy for inventory control, so you’ll know how many trees will be available next year or the year after. It helps you keep track of each variety and what state they are in. When it goes to the job site, the cus-tomer will know exactly where a tree came from. If something happens down the road, he can backtrack.”

Under HisTREE, each tree is identified as an individual asset using either QR or RFID scanning technology, and the entire

history of that tree is accessible by scanning that tree’s tag. Customers such as contractors or municipalities that purchase the HisTREE service can query the database to track down trees of a particular type or from a particular nursery. Within minutes, they will have a list of those trees and their location on a map.

Nursery staff can scan the QR or RFID tag on trees in the field to see the last time they were watered, pruned or inspected for pests.

“Anytime you do anything with a tree, you can record it,” Jhaj said.

Nurseries do these inspections, but they are usually recorded on paper. HisTREE’s aim is to give nurseries the ability to record data on a smartphone interface, using cloud computing to integrate their inven-tory into an industry-wide database.

“It’s the next generation of data manage-ment,” said Art Maat, founder and presi-dent of HisTREE. “We developed our product in response to the certification process, to be able to provide nurseries and municipalities with traceability on an individual tree basis. It’s just starting to grab hold now.” Pinpoint location J.P. Jackson, founder of Appalachian Native Plants in Mountain City, Tenn., uses GPS technology to find the best native plants to propagate. ANP, a non-profit corporation working with Appalachian State University, the University of Tennessee and Johnson County, Tenn., grows native ornamentals such as azalea, rhododendron and hydrangea.

In mid-June, Jackson hikes into the Blue Ridge Mountains look-ing for the best-blooming native azaleas. When he finds one he likes, he records the coordinates with a handheld GPS system so he can return in the fall to check the foliage on that exact plant. GPS tracking helps him save time on the return visit - as well as helping ensure the particular plant will still be there.

“It’s way better than marking a plant where somebody else can tell that it’s special, because they tend to disappear,” Jackson said. “Somebody will dig it up or collect all the seed before you can get back to it.”

Jackson’s handheld GPS system includes topographical maps, which help him pinpoint the plant’s location.

Tree trackingWhy traceability regulations may be on the horizon, and how some nurseries are already using this technology

Cable-secured RFID or QR tags are more difficult to remove from trees.

s

15

Can you identify this native Texas tree?

If you know this tree, correctly identify it on our facebook page. If you don’t know it, check the page

for the answer in a few days!

Hint: In the time of the butterflies

v v v

How to enter: Log onto our facebook page and type in both the common and scientific name. We will check the page

daily until the tree has been correctly identified, comfirming the correct answer.

What’s the Big IDea?

last month’s winnerMark Eric Tietz correctly identified our May tree as silk floss tree, Ceiba speciosa or Chorisia speciosa.

He was the first to respond, and correctly identified the tree on his first try.

“If you take photos of surrounding landmarks, or make a nota-tion that indicates the characteristics of the plant, you have a fair amount of data about that plant,” Jackson said.

ANP’s motto is “Plant preservation through propagation and production,” and GPS helps the nursery achieve it. Gaining steam One of the major reasons traceability has traction is its poten-tial pest and disease implications. Maat said if traceability be-came industry-standard, it could curb the spread of the invasive pests like the emerald ash borer.

“Had all those trees been tagged and identified with their loca-tion, you could easily identify every ash tree in your county or state, visit and assess them, you could trend the EAB’s path across the state,” Maat said. “You could isolate it, even do fire breaks.”

Stewart Brothers uses HisTREE to record pesticide applica-tions in the field and to schedule future applications.

“You’ll know exactly when you sprayed, what you sprayed for, and what chemical you used,” Jhaj said.

Another reason traceability is gaining steam is that it is no longer cost-prohibitive. Stewart Brothers started using RFID tags, but the nursery prefers tags using QR codes — two-dimensional barcodes that hold more information than tradi-tional one-dimensional barcodes in a smaller space.

“We’ve gone from a $3,000 scanning device in the RFID world, to scanning on a smartphone that people already own,” Maat said. “And it has the ability to perform database and traceability management from an iPhone with QR functionality.”

The MyHisTREE app is available for iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch in Apple’s App Store. Android and BlackBerry versions of the app are in the works.

The HisTREE app allows you to view tagged trees in a Google Maps interface.

n

s

is published six times a year by the Texas Chapter, International Society of Arboriculture.

Editor: Oscar S. MestasRegional Urban Forester, Texas A&M Forest Service

omestas@tfs.tamu.edu 915-834-5610

Associate Editor: Jeannette Ivyjkivy@austin.rr.com 512-292-4402

Advertising Representative: Duane Pancoastduane@thepancoastconcern.com 585-924-4570

Searchable online edition at isatexas.com

In the Shade

16

P E S T P O S T

Below are excerpts from the research article. If you would like to read the complete article please visit.http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/jour-nal.pone.0059687.

AbstractCities profoundly alter biological communities, favoring some species over others, though the mechanisms that govern these changes are largely unknown. Herbivorous arthropod pests are often more abundant in urban than in rural areas, and urban outbreaks have been attributed to reduced control by predators and parasitoids and to increased susceptibility of stressed urban plants.

The scale insect Parthenolecanium quercifex was 13 times more abundant on willow oak trees in the hottest parts of Raleigh, NC, in the southeastern United States, than in cooler areas, though parasitism rates were similar.

Parthenolecanium quercifex living in urban hot spots suc-ceed with warming, and they do so because some demes have either acclimatized or adapted to high temperatures. Our results provide the first evidence that heat can be a key driver of insect pest outbreaks on urban trees.

DiscussionFor more than a century, scientists have documented that arthropod pests, including scale insects, are more abundant on urban trees than rural trees. We provide evi-dence that urban heat may explain this effect, and we show that small temperature differenc-es predict changes of an order of magnitude in pest abundance.

Urban trees are frequently stressed due to lack of water and nutrients. In some cases, stress can reduce tree de-fenses, leading to higher herbivore abundance. Because our study sites were all in urban habitats, we have no reason to believe that nutrient levels available to trees covaried with temperature. It is conceivable that warm trees are more water stressed, and such a possibility deserves study. However, water stress tends to lead to de-creases in the abundance of piercing-sucking herbivores, which suggests that water stress should lead to lower P. quercifex abundance in hot urban areas. We observe the opposite pattern.

We identified 20 of the hottest (“hot”) and 20 of the cold-est (“cold”) sites with at least two willow oak trees in Durham, NC (1 site) and Raleigh, NC (39 sites). All sites were located in urbanized locations to minimize habitat related differences in natural enemy communities and host plant quality that might affect scale abundance.

Citation Meineke EK, Dunn RR, Sexton JO, Frank SD (2013) Urban Warming Drives Insect Pest Abundance on Street

Trees. PLoS ONE 8(3): e59687. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0059687.

Copyright© 2013 Meineke et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Cre-ative Commons Attri-bution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

New research connects urban heat islands and increased street tree pests

Thermal image overlaid with Parthenolecanium quercifex abundance across the Raleigh, NC urban heat island.

17

Wedgle®

Direct-Inject™

TREE INJECTION SYSTEM

“Easy to explain and sell to homeowners.”

“Biggest and most successful add-on service.”

“Takes less manpower. Less than one-thirdthe time than soil drenching.”

800.698.4641ArborSystems.com

Insecticides • FungicidesPGRs • MicroNutrients

Antibiotics

Controls EmeraldAsh Borer

Prevents DiplodiaTip Blight

Controls SpiralWhiteflies

Controls CrabappleLeaf Disease

TreatedUntreated

PreventsAnthracnose

Prevents PineWilt Disease

Controls SuddenOak Death

Achieves GrowthReduction

BoostsTree Health

Treated UntreatedBefore

TreatmentTwo Weeks

After Treatment

Controls HemlockWoolly Adelgids

One treeinjectionsystem

does it all!

One treeinjectionsystem

does it all!

Treat almost any treein five minutes or less!

Delivers proven results compared to foliage spray,soil drenching or other injection systems.Simplify the tree care process with no drilling damage, no guarding,no return trips, no mixing, no spilling and no waiting for uptake.Systemic antibiotic for Bacterial Leaf Scorch, Fire Blight, Ash Yellows,Elm Yellow, Lethal Yellow disease and more.

��

NEW!

by Pete Smith Do you care about trees? Do you care for trees? Do you keep up with latest tree research so you can provide the best care of trees possible? Well I’ll bet at least some of that research was funded by the Tree Research & Education Endowment -- the TREE Fund. Here’s what the fund does:

• funding for scientific research into critical urban tree care issues

• funding for arboriculture education programs in schools

• scholarships for aspiring arborists

Here are a few projects that have been funded recently, supporting researchers you may know:

• Evaluating damage resulting from volcano mulching (Gary Watson, Morton Arboretum, 2010)

• Ground penetrating radar (Dr. Nina Bassuk, Cornell University, 2011)

• Biochar and its potential as an arboricultural amendment (Dr. Bryant Scharenbroch, Morton Arboretum, 2010)

• Tree response to pruning cuts on branches that lack collars (Dr. Ed Gilman, University of Florida, 2012)

• Does size really matter with container grown trees? (Dr. Mike Arnold, Texas A&M University, 2011)

Your Team Texas riders want to keep this kind of research going so they are riding thousands of miles this summer, culminating in the Tour des Trees, a 585-mile bike ride to benefit the TREE Fund. Please support Team Texas with your tax-deductible contribution by clicking here: http://stihltourdestrees.racepartner.com/2013-stihl-tour-des-trees/Texas .

Support team texaS and tree reSearch

If we don’t reach our goal, this is what they’ll do to me!

18

Bajo la Sombra

El sótano del árbol tan importante y que en ocasiones descuidamos, como comúnmente decimos, “corazón que no ve corazón que no siente”. Sin embargo en donde fundamentalmente comienza el problema que destruye la vitalidad y la muerte del árbol. Ese mundo subterráneo vital para la sobrevivencia está influenciado por factores como la disponibilidad de nutrientes, agua, oxigeno y la micro fauna de las micorrizas.

Las Micorrizas, o raíces fungosas, hongos en donde sus hifas viven en simbiosis en el tejido cortical de la raíz. Son asociaciones que crean beneficios para ambos organismos, las raíces infectadas con el hongo se hinchan y bifurcan produciendo a la raíz mayor área superficial para

absorber nutrientes y un substrato que brinda carbohidratos al hongo. La simbiosis entre ambos organismos proporciona al árbol un mejor crecimiento y vitalidad. Cómo lo hace, pues esta maravillosa empresa aumenta la solubilidad del fosforo y nitrógeno entre otros elementos al aumentar su solubilidad cerca de las raíces. Cuando la actividad del hongo cambia la estructura molecular de las moléculas que contienen fosforo y nitrógeno de manera que estos elementos puedan estar solubles, y absorber y almacenar por el árbol. Además, la actividad del hongo induce a la raíz a mantenerse activamente durante más tiempo. Cabe indicar que muchas de estas asociaciones son obligadas y no facultativas. Evolutivamente la presencia de estos hongos es necesaria para algunas especies. Por ejemplo arboles miembros de las Magnoliales presentan este cuadro con Endomicorrizas “vesícula-arbusculares”, sin la presencia de estas los árboles no pueden desarrollarse.

Tres asociaciones describen estas simbiosis, las Ectomicorrizas que se forman principalmente en árboles forestales debido a los basidiomicetes que forman setas y bejines y a varios ascomicetes. Otras como las Endomicorrizas, tienen una forma y color similar a las raíces no micorrizales, pero internamente las hifas del hongo crecen en las células corticales de la raíz alimentadora ya sea al formar grandes hifas hinchadas, denominadas vesículas. La mayoría de las Endomicorrizas contienen tanto vesículas como arbustos, y por lo tanto, se les denomina micorrizas “vesícula-arbusculares”. Las Ectendomicorrizas, son producidas por hongos de identidad desconocida que crecen en las células corticales de la raíz o en torno a ellas y pueden tener o no un manto fungoso sobre la superficie de las raíces alimentadoras.

Asi que la ecología subterránea juego un papel muy importante en los árboles y el beneficio de las inoculaciones con micorriza debe ser considerado a la hora del manejo de arboles urbanos.

las Micorrizas y las Raíces por Salvador Alemany MFS – Dasónomo Urbano Forestal de la Región del Valle del Rio Grande Texas, Texas A&M Forest Service

Plántula de pino con Ectomicorriza.

Raiz de conífera infectada con Ectomicorriza mostrando hinchazón y bifurcación.

s

s

Endomicorriza en raíz de nogal Americano (Juglans nigra).

s

Fotografías: USDA Forest Service, Robert L. Anderson.

19

Saturday, August 3ITCC Masters’ Qualifying Events Tree Academy WorkshopsArbor Fair and Fun Climb

Sunday, August 4ITCC Masters’ Challenge and Head-to-Head Footlock Tree Academy Workshops Student and Early Career Networking ReceptionOpening Ceremony and Welcome Reception

Monday, August 5Educational Sessions Trade Show Climbers’ Corner TREE Fund Raise Your Hand for Research Auction

Schedule of Activities

Tuesday, August 6Educational Sessions Trade ShowClimbers’ Corner Utility Arborist Association Lunch Student and Early Career Mentoring Lunch

Wednesday, August 7Professional Affiliate Educational Sessions Society of Commercial Arboriculture Tour Society of Municipal Arborists Tour AREA Lunch

Promoting Diversity in the Urban Forest

2013 ISA Annual International Conference & TradeshowTORONTO, ON, CANADA— August 3-7 2013

Full-conference registration: Includes Sunday Opening Ceremony and Welcome Reception, Monday – Wednesday Educational Sessions, and Monday-Tuesday Trade Show.

Registration Information—Pre-Register by July 10ISA Members–$495 USD Non-Members–$625 USD (Includes an ISA Professional Membership for the 2014 membership year, which begins on September 1, 2013)

For detailed information on registration and hotels visit www.isa-arbor.com/conference.

THE NEWSLETTER OFTHE ISA TEXAS CHAPTER

2013 Oakwood TrailCollege Station, TX 77845

www.isatexas.com

PRSRT STDU.S. Postage

PAIDAUSTIN, TX

Permit No. 1560

Deadline for nominations: July 26Make a difference! Run for office or a place on the ISAT Board of Directors. You’ll get to meet many of the leaders in our industry and feel good about paying it forward.

This year ISAT will be holding elections through electronic voting. If you are not connected to the internet and you want to vote, you must request a paper ballot. Should you wish to run for a position on the board, or to nominate someone, please download a form from: isatexas.com/images/pdf_files/Elections/2013_ISATBOD_application_form.pdf Or contact Keith Brown at 512-966-9100 or keith@austintreeexperts.com

All nomination applications are due Friday, July 26, 2013.

The commitment is a two-year term. There are four board meetings per year plus an annual planning retreat. Five seats on the board are open. In addition the chapter will elect a president-elect, vice president, treasurer and editor.